Since the orbit of The Planet periodically brings it close to the wormhole that is The Huffington Post (mainly after full moons), I think it is high time that I made an oath here and now to stop talking about the trolls and personal conflicts at Huffington Post.

After all, the whole point of being at The Planet instead of HuffPo is so that I don’t have to be bothered with and distracted by all that petty, unnecessary stress and soap opera over there. I can get back to what I set out to do by joining HuffPo originally, blog about issues and events that really matter to me.

And by continuing to talk about all that HuffPoop here, it’s like I’m working against my own desire to escape it. So, I vow not to talk about the inter-member bullshit at HuffPo ever again after the period at the end of this sentence.

There! That feels good! Very freeing!

No more will I talk about you know who and that other guy and “her”, not to mention “she” and the other one, you know who I mean.

In fact, I think talking about not talking about HuffPo is worth talking about often and in great detail.

And, I think anyone not talking about not talking about HuffPo is not talking about what shouldn’t be not talked about.

If we’re going to try to shrug off the HuffPo insanity, we need to start talking seriously about not talking about HuffPo.

And what better way to do that than talking about how we should be talking about not talking about it? And we can’t be all talk about not talking about it!

You mean you can even talk to each other about simple life chores like painting the walls and no one’s going to wipe your comments away like spilled coffee on the counter top?
How silly that a simple thing like that can make me feel happy, like I’m talking to real people and not just some alphabetical ruminations.

This is so good…I feel like it’s a dream come true. I might even get up earlier, but I’m more of the “night owl”.
And yes, I remember your name from a while back on HP because I have friends with similar names and I really liked it, that’s why I recognized it as soon as I saw it.

I’m working on it, because it went so much further than I can even imagine and ended up with conspiracy gang related charges and a young man losing his life for not doing what the jail shot callers asked of him and hours of court proving the police and sheriffs conspired against my son, who is one of the few black men in the town…I’m working on the mother’s perspective and now I know where I can post it….
By the way, where are you in Europe, I’m in Santa Cruz, CA

A hard to fathom story about your son, I’m still shaking my head and picking up my jaw from the floor, it must have been a very hard time for you both and it breaks my heart to read about it. So sorry that you went through so much unnecessary grief and I hope that you will consider doing a post about the prison system, I and I’m sure many others would be very interested to read it.

Ok, when you can make it over, if you just scroll down a little, I left a link for some Christmas recipes that looked quite delicious.

No, not until recently, before that it was a picture of my African American son, talking on a jail phone wearing orange and white stripped jail clothing.
Fighting for his freedom and rights has been a big part of my life, when he was finally released, I took his pic down nand put up my own.
I’m still fighting the system for him and others.
He did 1 year in county jail for graffiti.
Boy, do I have some stories to tell, this for profit prison system is so messed up…..
getting off soap box now…..
I love new recipes, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be checking in regularly.

So this is where everybody went…So glad be find out I wasn’t just thinking negatively and paranoid, thinking that HP was getting foxier by the moment and AH had pulled a fast one on us.
And ok I won’t talk about it any more than to acknowledge that I’m glad I’m here. My brain feels lighter and smarter already.
And while yes, some snarky remarking was kinda fun sometimes, it really has mucked things up over there and is just plain boring..
I’ll try not to mention it again but I do think it’s just as important to call HP out about their erroneous reporting, as it is to call out Fox for their misinformation, both are committing a crime against the masses.
Ok, I’m done…good to see everyone

Wow, that explains how I’m feeling tonight better than I could…I can tell you’ve seen this huffnpuff “cross over” to the planet syndrome enough times now to recognize my bewilderment that you exist.
Thanks, I feel very welcomed and right at home, really looking forward to discussing more.
I popped over to read an article about Obama and the peace prize and the first comment had an excellent link, so I know I’m in good company…pleased to be here with ya!!
I also read all 3 of the links you put up about AH and HP…thoroughly enjoyed your style.
Funny thing is , if they hadn’t gotten so “ban crazy” over there, I might not have found you, so, on a positive note, we’ll thank them for that.

Oh yeah, I remember you!!We can’t leave the snark behind, there’ll be plenty of good reasons to be throwin it around, I’m sure.
At least it will be quality witty snarks.
I’m so happy to be here right now, it’ll take me a minute to get snarky, but thanks for the offer…I’d been wondering where you went…glad to know you’re here and thriving.

And, I have to add, I think that the vast majority of folks here are totally OK with discussing how biased and sensationalized things have gotten at HP. That’s a completely legit issue! It was just the matter of bringing personal, individual battles from that place and making overt or veiled references to them here that was getting to be a bummer. (To be perfectly candid, I was bummed often because I didn’t have the foggiest notion of what people were talking about! I don’t spend 10 minutes a day at HP any more, so I’m totally and happily out of the loop.)

Thanks for the welcoming..I’ve been telling folks that I thought we should be wary of Huff’s tactics, and felt we were being led to the same place that Fox leads it’s viewers, the propaganda was just skewed differently, but it still was the same end result, negativity, dissent and distraction. And while I don’t always agree with the President, the nonconstructive Obama bashing was wearing me out. Glad to be here with ya.
Positive vibes help me to think more clearly.

I think many people have found that, Hope--the positive vibes/clearer thinking connections, I mean. And I know this sounds weird, but I feel as though my overall mood has improved since I’ve been able talk to people who are so--well, sane comes to mind! And so very smart, too. There was a high level of weirdness that was not cute over “there.” It got very depressing after a while. Again, welcome!

I think it’s what I’ve been looking around for, I remember you from there, it’s weird but I really feel like I escaped a web or something.
I can real feel the respect around here, so I believe I’m stayin’.
Thanks for the welcome.

Yep, I was talkin to you, i just want to talk to everybody..I’m having some kind a fun that I didn’t know that was there to experience.
I guess it’s just lifting out of the tar that makes me feel so much ligher.
Really glad to be here with you.

Oh ok, I just didn’t think that apart from AdLib and KQ, there was anyone who knew me from HP. I joined in June 07 and stopped posting in April this year, with two angry visits lasting 10 minutes in between and had to have a long shower to feel clean again.

Oh, I’m not fooled so easily, I’ve been posting over at HufnPuff long enough to know some of these other folks that are here from there, might give ya a good run for your money on that issue.
Thanks for the welcome, I’ve been browsing around and feel quite comfy here.
Pleased to be on planet with you too…crazy is good.

I saw a coded message from karate kid when looktotheleft got banned, thought I better check it…so glad I did, I read somewhere you wrote something and it moved to the front, can’t wait to check it out.
i always felt there was some talent being wasted over there, and some intelligent posts were just disappearing before my very eyes, only to replaced with pure wickedness and nasty things.
Time and place for everything, but it was too distracting.
I think my mental health is in safer hands here.

Welcome the the other planet, Hopington. I know I will not stop calling out HP. With Fox and Drudge, I know what they are and don’t expect anything but the worst. But HP is still posing as a progressive website — which it isn’t. That makes me mad!

I’m just glad there is a place to call them out, of course, I was scrubbed almost everytime I tried to raise the cry that we were being hood winked and high jacked by the false appearance of liberal media, and it seemed like everyone excepted it for that, without even noticing the subtle changes that were occurring.
It made me mad too, in this instance, Fox has more integrity and don’t pretend to be something they’re not

See, I stopped reading all that garbage because it was a waste of time and more important the more they’re called out, the more attention they receive. It’s how they make the $$$. The idiots who believe their diatribe will believe it until the day they die and trying to change those minds is like trying to “talk to the dining room table” (Barney Frank, Town Hall Somewhere, 2009).

While still apprehensive, I do tend to listen to Dean and Wiener, who also says he might see these new developments as a good direction…I’m watching and waiting,i won’t hold my breath though, i don’t have insurance and I’d hate to hurt myself turning blue.

I just saw Kuchinich on Chris Matthews saying he was optimistic about it too. And Jay Rockefeller was smiling when they came out of their meeting. Without having the details, these guys are the champions of reform and I trust their judgment. (I don’t have insurance either — this is my BIG issue).

I’m well on my way to 60 so the medicare thing might be what they have up their sleeve for me.
My son just had surgery 2 days ago for a collapsed lung due to pneumonia.
He’s 23, and no job, I got him on CA County medical service called medicruz just in the nick of time before they sent him from the clinic to the hospital, or he would be looking at a massive bill right now.
AND….
Jobs jobs jobs, our town is 13% unemployment and I know that it’s really much higher.

I really want to say ONE thing. This morning, Dec. 10, Huff posted a headline that the public option in health care was RIP with Speaker Pelosi caving. I wrote to her Senior Health Consultant whom I know, and she said NO WAY!!! Not only that, but there was a public press briefing this morning in which Speaker Pelosi said to the media that she had told the Senate, “show me the plan”. She said the House of Representatives is devoted to the public option and would back down IF and ONLY IF there were something as good or better from the Senate and Congressional Budget Office. So -- the story was NOT TRUE, and HuffPo totally misrepresented the information. That is serious because it was a total fabrication.

This is the kind of thing that have no more use for that site. I read a head line and story that was completely false from everything I had read or seen (and completely un-sourced). No more!
Anyone want to see Leader Pelosi’s briefing May get it at C-Span. (they are tight about their links, sorry)

Any HP propaganda is fair game choicelady, they should be shown up for false claims. Their goal seems clear, they want to undermine the President, they might as well proclaim themselves as a RW blog, that is where they are heading.

I think that kind of comment on the site is completely justified — and should be made whenever misinformation is published. Just like it should be pointed out at any site.

choicelady, I would love for you to write something about Obama’s DOJ strategy that could be posted at AlterNet. They’re going crazy over there with the decision re John Woo. I posted something this morning to refute the claim that the administration has accomplished nothing — I’d love for there to be something else posted for those whiners to think about.

I will work that up. I’ve not posted before, only replied, but I think -- think -- I have the hang of it. All your great help has made this less awesome. However, that said, can y’all wait a bit? I’m in the thick of the health care issue for our organization’s members, on the road several days next week trying to stomp down the hysteria bred by Ms. Huff and others, and moving people to speak intelligently about what they want from health reform. In other words, I’m overwhelmed. By the end of next week, I will come up for air, have some time off, and will do this reflection on Obama’s use of Bush court pleadings on torture with and for you.

You all have NO idea how much I love this site! It’s the BEST conversation going on in America, and I trust all of you -- what intelligent, kind, thoughtful people! KQuark -- thank you for leading me here!

Now I’m off to get ready for bed because I have to get up at 5 am tomorrow to drive four hours in the rain for a 2 hour presentation on health care then drive four hours back again. Also in the rain. Thinking about reading what funny, insighful, awesome things you all have written will carry me down and back. G’night!

Nellie, C’Lady, is not the DOJ obligated by law to defend laws that are already in effect? How vigorous they do it is up to question. The DOJ (Holder) entered just an Amicus Brief, not a formal defense, did they not?

bitohistory -- some of the first cases had indeed to be carried on as Bush entered them. DOJ had no choice, which is something people don’t understand. When, in one case, they elected not to ask for a delay, it was because they KNEW the courts would rule against the Bush doctrine, and they were right. To my knowledge, which is not complete, they have pled the cases just as Bush and company wrote them. All because they could tell that the courts would NOT uphold the Bush doctrine. Brilliant, IMHO.

Good point, Nellie. The rightwing has its disinformation generators in Sarah, Beck, Limbaugh, et al. But on the left, there’s plenty of it to go around as well (HP for example). And I’ve noticed that there’s a certain sort of leftie — the kind you have been talking about — who are easily swayed and overwhelmed with righteous indignation --against his own party. The Disappointed Dem. That “Public Option RIP” thread is crawling with them right now. Is there something in the progressive personality? I’m thinking it’s expectations — they allow them to go hogwild and then the inevitable disappointment comes.

A Palin-Gore debate would be delicious. I imagine Gore wouldn’t feel so obliged to be so gentlemanly and intellectually generous as Joe Biden was during the VP debate. I thought Biden resisted several opportunities to bury the little twit because he’s a gentleman. I’d love to see Gore finish her off.

I get what you’re saying, but I might just fall off the wagon once and again… for those of those still there (plugging this website for one), it is sometimes irresistible to ‘cleanse’ after wading through the toxic sludge.

AdLib
Good morning,I took an even bigger step this morning. I changed my home page for the internet to Planet Pov. So when I now log on to the internet, Planet Pov is my first destination. What that means is that it is better to be a part of a real community and not a contrived one set up by a Queen. Thanks to all the originators here and the progressives who come here, more and more everyday.

While I think I agree ( my head is spinning ) because the other blog is what it is, and it’s boring to talk about it, there is an Voldemort-ian quality to She Who Must Not Be Named. I guess I’d prefer NOT to belabor the weirdness over there, but when something egregious occurs, may we discuss it as an issue of free speech, trying to understand the framework, etc? Otherwise it’s giving an awful lot of power to SWMNBN. There are concerns such as this morning’s post that the public option is DOA (it’s not -- got that directly from senior health care staff in both the Senate and House) which is very misleading. So can we talk about that?

They definitely need to be exposed more publicly for who and what they truly are…and the word “progressive” should not be included in the description.

Nothing is censored here as long as it’s not personally attacking someone or disrupting the site. I am just hoping to guide discussions here back to issues and away from the contagious animosity of the pointless HuffPo blog battles.

And issues do include the agendas being pursued by the MSM, including HuffPo.

I think AdLib is OK with talking about HuffPost’s outrageous inflammatory headlines and poor reporting. It’s the venting about the history of feuds, personal slights and trolls on the HuffPost forums that he — and a lot of us — feel it’s time to let go of.

I agree, choicelady. I am very much interested in media issues in general and consider them of prime importance in a democracy. It’s important to critically analyze all the media and how certain issues are being presented and/or slanted. This is particularly so for HuffPo because it is still considered a “progressive site” and has a great influence on how many progressives view the issues and the president — while many of us feel that this really is NOT the case, that it is, to use an old metaphor, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think it’s extremely important to stay on top of that and discuss it and call it out.

I think what we are agreeing to take offline here are the personal issues that arise. Adlib, please correct me if I’m misinterpreting.

I am so sorry I talked about what we’re not supposed to talk about.
Still, I feel the need to talk about that which I talked about, yet should not have talked about.
I really need to talk about this.
You know what I’m talkin’ about?

Now this is something I’d like to talk about not talking about. I know many of you (as much as you can know people online) from that other place. I for one am very happy that PlanetPOV is here.

To talk about that other place, only brings that sinking feeling of reminiscing about a place of days gone by. It was a nice place to visit but I don’t post there anymore. I used to go there to check the news every day. I don’t anymore. So I’ve kicked my habit and feel more in control of my blog life. Finally.

Adlib, I know what you’re talking about! But, I do think there’s a need to vent a bit, sometimes. To me it’s like being betrayed (too over the top?), having your hands tied and mouth taped shut (heavy moderation, comments and full pages disappearing), and speaking of the under bridge dwellers, can’t take that anymore. Not good for the BP.

Anyway, HP can’t touch PlanetPOV because you can swear your ass off here. That is if you choose to do so.

I agree with you and I know, from first hand experience that there is indeed an emotional need to express the sense of betrayal and resentment that comes after one gets some distance from HuffPo and realizes what unnecessary BS they were locked into accepting for much longer than they should have.

We shouldn’t have let ourselves be played like that but we did and we resent it. And realizing that we were being lied to by the site, that it is no more a bastion of principled liberalism than Fox News, that it is just a mercenary hedge fund investment vehicle…it gets one angry for believing and showing loyalty towards a cynical fraud.

So, indeed, there is naturally a period of getting this out of one’s system for each new member who “escapes” from there but we do need to keep it in perspective and not let it overrun this site’s higher goals nor define this site as purely “The Anti-Huff Site”.

I must agree with you ad lib and thanks for recognizing that some of us need a detox moment, but the reason I’m here is to get out of the mercenary hedge fund vehicle, so I won’t dwell on it too long, plus, from the looks of all the intelligent and compassionate people I see posting here, I’m sure Iur fingers will just be flyin with all the thoughts we need to express.
Thanks for being here, I’ve been looking, signed up here and there, but never commented.
I’m stickin around here for a minute though, this feels good. Glad I found ya, if they hadn’t banned one of my favorite posters over there, I would still be in the dark.

What I meant to say is that I would aspire to The Planet being the #1 alternative for those at HuffPo.

The reality is that HuffPo is far and away the hugest site for political bloggers. That’s why they can afford to piss all over the members, they’re disposable.

If we can continue to promote the option of The Planet as the best alternative for bloggers there, our growth can only accelerate and the satisfaction of more bloggers can only grow.

So, as you say, we shouldn’t be branding ourselves with HuffPo’s name but we should be promoting The Planet to where the most people are who would appreciate what it has to offer…so that when they finally get fed up or banned, they know where they can find a new (and better) blogging home.

I don’t feel that attached to HP. Maybe because I was reading Raw Story and Truthout before it came on the scene. I love the comment section community, but as far as the site goes — it’s just another aggregation site. It has a lot of money and splash, but it’s no better than BuzzFlash (in its former incarnation) or TPM or AlterNet.

PPOV, on the other hand, is something different altogether. It’s not about aggregating news stories and presenting a narrative. It’s about analysis, opinion, debate, brainstorming. It’s something different. And special.

So, in truth, we are NOT an alternative to HP. We are something completely new and different. And time spent here, IMHO, is much more worthwhile.

Afternoon Pashma, if you need to vent, see my link below that nicole set up for that purpose.

Like you, many of us here felt the same betrayal…kinda like you were duped in some way. But that goes away after a little while, I think it’s because the air is so clear here, speeds up the healing process!

And as for swearing, my mouth is like a sailors, from living with my husband too long, so no offense will be taken by me!

I used to. I’m guilty too. Quips and snark can be fun. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for it. They key is that you’re capable of more. Thing is, many there probably wouldn’t know I was, if they never wade into my World section haunt. One, the threads go so fast sometimes, and two, the longer, more thoughtful it is seems to be is in direct proportion to its likelihood of being sent to pending purgatory or raptured.

Say you dog lovers have you checked out dogster.com ? Oh, there is also a catster.com
for the *cat* people, I only say that because cats seem to own the people whereas dogs are loyal subjects…. Ha Ha ! :-}

Adlib, I am so glad that you talked about this not talking about that place or that women…I came here to the Planet to get away from that place that we are not going to talk about and her, who’s name we dare not speak.

nicole has set up a place for those who need to talk about what we are not going to talk about here at the Planet.

Thanks for the sentiment and the link, BigDogMom…and congrats on your great new Gravatar!

I am more than happy to refer members to our friend Nicole’s site so that those who wish to talk about what we are talking about not talking about…can talk there.

Personally, I believe that what goes on at HuffPo is like a viral infection and bringing it to any other open site simply infects it.

Since our goal here is to reject the hostility and aggression associated at HuffPo and prove, as we have, that thoughtful people can have conversations and debates about important issues without resorting to disrespecting each other, we have to completely let go of the game at HuffPo.

That means putting aside resentments, prejudices, feuds, etc. and of course, discussions of past and current ones.

Folks here need to recognize that the membership is in control here and relax, there is nothing to be concerned about when anyone joins this site who may have been involved in conflicts with any of our members at HuffPo.

No matter their track record at HuffPo or any other site on the web, if someone comes here to join the community and be respectful and constructive, they are welcome. If they come here to disrupt the site or attack members, they will not be welcome or permitted to continue.

It would be a slippery slope to establish the precedent that someone could be denied membership at a site that represents itself as open to all, because a member or members lobbied or pressured for that. Of course there would be cases where a majority agreed to bar someone they found undesirable but there would also follow instances where, for example, two Progressives or Dems had a conflict and a decision is sought or boycotts are threatened as to which of the two should or shouldn’t be members. Very messy business indeed and a one way ticket to Lord of the Flies…and this Planet isn’t going to revolve in that direction.

So a straightforward and principled policy has been and will continue to be in force here, all are welcome to join and will remain or go based on their behavior once they’ve joined The Planet. Respect all of your peers and stay, attack any of your peers and go.

This is not HuffPo, people need to remember that. Trolls are not going to be permitted to stay around like at HuffPo. End of story. The members have the power here and those with power need not be concerned by the threat of those who do not have power.

Trolls have no power here. Haters have no power here. Unless members personally choose to confer power upon them and allow them to affect their attitude towards or their participation at The Planet.

This is not a private or social blog. It is a site open to everyone to respectfully discuss and debate issues. There will be those that join here that are Republican, oppose Obama, abortion, gay rights, etc. The more The Planet reflects the debates and discussions in the real world out there but with a modicum of respect, the more invigorating, affirming and successful this community and its principles become.

So, let’s move onward and upward, calm cool and collected, intimidated by no one here because the laws of gravity for this Planet are that respectful peers remain while those who can’t be respectful will be released to float off and away aimlessly into cyberspace.

AdLib, thank you…and thank you for mentioning in your response to me that this is not a private or social blog. I was quite perturbed by Bernard’s comment this morning of not being in “the clique” here…and I hope that he stops back and sees your and others response to his statement.

The last thing that I want here is a repeat of that other site that we shall not mention….nor do I want any member of this site to feel slighted in any way or isolated…I would like to think that we are all equal here and welcome to our opinions.

Yes, some of us have been here longer, not by much, myself included, than others and have established relationships with each other. As in life, people will tend to gravitate towards those that they feel most comfortable with.

I am not a great writer as yourself and others here, and at time feel intimidated, but I have always felt welcomed.

I came here not so much to write my opinions, but to learn and listen to what others are saying regarding the current state of affairs in our political system and in our country, and what we can do to change things for the better.

I feel that talking about, what we will no longer talk about, has turned some people off and once some of us purge ourselves of this addiction, of that which will not be named, this site will take off and soar to greater heights and be a meaningful place for change.